[FORT THOMAS, Kentucky – July 25, 2018] OMEGA Processing Solutions announced today that payments-industry veteran, Kim Polark, has earned the designation of ETA Certified Payments Professional (CPP), the professional certification program administered by the Electronics Transactions Association. By successfully meeting the ETA’s rigorous certification examination requirements, Polark has joined an exclusive community of electronic transactions professionals who have earned this distinguished certification.

As Portfolio Division Manager, Polark leads the OMEGA Processing’s Merchant Relationship Team. She has a decade of experience in various roles within the payments industry.

The ETA CPP program sets the standard for professional performance in the payments industry and is a symbol of excellence. It signifies that an individual has demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to perform competently in today’s complex electronic payments environment. The program recognizes that today’s merchant service providers must have a broad knowledge of the industry and must demonstrate mastery not only of sales, but also pricing and interchange, business process, operations and workflow, products and solutions, as well as risk, regulatory, compliance and security matters.

With less than 2 percent of professionals in the payments industry receiving this designation, the commitment shown by OMEGA and its employees to the ETA CPP certification signifies the company’s dedication to industry excellence and increased customer satisfaction. OMEGA Processing Solutions prides itself in having another one its associates secure this honor.

Photo Credit: Bruce Morris Photography

About the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA)

ETA is an international trade association representing more than 500 companies that offer electronic transaction processing products and services. ETA’s mission is to advance the payments industry profession by providing leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information.

About OMEGA Processing Solutions

Celebrating its 15th year of operation in 2018, OMEGA Processing Solutions is a premium provider of electronic transaction processing and data delivery. The company offers electronic payments processing, B2B and e-commerce solutions, mobile payments, point-of-sale system integration, short-term capital funding and gift card programs to thousands of businesses across the United States. OMEGA has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the Cincinnati BBB’s Ethics Allies. Headquartered in Greater Cincinnati, OMEGA also has regional offices in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Louisville, Kentucky, markets. For more information, please visit www.omegap.com or call 866.888.9724.

PayTrace has four product offerings – Basic, Pro, Pro with EMV and Cash Advance. PayTrace’s biggest marketplace advantage is the ease and lower cost of Level II and Level III qualifications for B2B and B2G merchants. NOTE: The Basic product does not include Level III data.

Merchant Training and Support

PayTrace has a considerable library of demonstration videos available for training and support. In addition, the company has developed a PayTrace blog as a resource. Call OMEGA Processing Solutions at 866.888.9724 Ext. 7 for more information and a product demonstration.

Newly created role to focus on operational efficiency and the highest possible attention to customer satisfaction

[FORT THOMAS, Kentucky – June 1, 2018] OMEGA Processing Solutions is proud to announce the promotion of Daena Sprafka, CPP, to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Sprafka will have responsibility for OMEGA Processing’s merchant operations and relationship teams, as well the company’s customer and technical service departments.

“As OMEGA’s first employee, Daena has always had OMEGA’s best interest in the forefront of all she does,” says OMEGA Processing Solutions President and CEO, Todd McHugh. “She will be laser-focused on streamlining OMEGA’s operational processes for maximum efficiency, while maintaining the best possible customer experience from the first moment a merchant is with OMEGA.”

The creation of the Chief Operating Officer role centralizes the entire life cycle of the merchant portfolio under common direction and allows OMEGA to better serve its customers. Previously Sprafka served as the company’s Vice President, Operations, as well as Director of Merchant Operations. She holds a Certified Payments Professional (CPP) designation from the Electronic Transactions Association.

“As an OMEGA Processing employee for 15 years, I am proud and excited to embark upon the challenge of Chief Operating Officer,” says Sprafka. “This company is a very large part of my life, and I look forward to bringing a renewed sense of customer focus and streamlined execution to our organization.”

About OMEGA Processing Solutions

Celebrating its 15th year of operation in 2018, OMEGA Processing Solutions is a premium provider of electronic transaction processing and data delivery. The company offers electronic payments processing, B2B and e-commerce solutions, mobile payments, point-of-sale system integration, short-term capital funding and gift card programs to thousands of businesses across the United States. OMEGA has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is a member of the Cincinnati BBB’s Ethics Allies. Headquartered in Greater Cincinnati, OMEGA also has regional offices in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Louisville, Kentucky, markets. For more information, please visit www.omegap.com or call 866.888.9724.

Interchange fees, which account for the majority of the processing costs on a merchant’s monthly statement, can be a mystery. Interchange rates are established by the card brands (Visa, MasterCard and Discover) and reflect the underlying costs of a credit card sale.

Let’s say a customer makes a credit card purchase of $50 at the grocery store. The bank that issued the credit card (issuing bank) then funds the $50 to the grocery store before they can collect the money from the customer. Interchange rates refer to fees paid by the merchant’s bank (acquiring bank) to the issuing bank for this service.

What Affects a Merchant’s Interchange Costs

The interchange rate for a transaction depends on the interchange category for which it qualifies. Interchange rates will always have two components: a percentage fee for the volume of the sale and a per-transaction fee.

A number of factors are used to determine the interchange rate, some of which you have some control over and some, you do not.

Transaction data: Proper and complete transaction data (i.e. correctly and completely filling out all the data fields) is especially important for merchants who process card-not-present transaction. This also applies to government and corporate cards.

In addition to interchange fees, there are other fees that the card brands assess for the right to use their networks and systems. These card association fees can be difficult to keep track of and are based on many factors.

Does Interchange Change?

While the card brands can update interchange rates and fees at any time throughout the year, they typically do so in April and October. Here is a summary of April’s interchange modifications.

Sunday, April 22 marks the 48th celebration of Earth Day, whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. More than 1 billion people are expected to participate in Earth Day activities this year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

To build on that momentum, we’re presenting some features that OMEGA Processing Solutions merchants can choose every day to help save our planet.

Pitching the Paper Statements

OMEGA merchants can opt out of monthly paper statements and utilize our secure, online merchant portal to view important sales data and manage their account. Our tool allows merchants to

View monthly credit card sales by type

Compare year-over-year monthly credit card sales

Manage and update account details

Access up to 18 months of merchant statements and 45 days of daily batches

Link multiple Merchants IDs together with one login

Online Versus Paper Reporting

OMEGA’s secure, web-based Virtual Terminal (OMEGA VT) features a robust, online reporting function. Up to three years of historical transaction information is securely stored online. Intuitive transaction search criteria options allow users to quickly find the data they are looking for without having to sift through a filing cabinet or match up receipts and settlement reports.

Mobile Makes Sense

OMEGA’s mobile processing devices give merchants the opportunity to send receipts via text or email, saving paper on those receipts that often get thrown on the ground anyway.

Graduating to Gift Cards

Gift cards are more secure, convenient, appealing and environmentally conscious than paper gift certificates. Plus OMEGA’s gift and loyalty program has a mobile app to ensure that merchants will never miss a sale opportunity.

Ready to do a small part in saving the planet? Give us a call to take advantage of these and many additional features and services offered by OMEGA Processing.

At OMEGA Processing Solutions we want to help more businesses like yours with their merchant services. To encourage quality referrals, our merchants can qualify for bonuses with our $100 Bonus Merchant Referral Program.

That’s right! OMEGA Processing merchants can refer a colleague to us. If the referral signs with OMEGA, our merchants receive a $100 credit on their next statement. There is no limit to the number of referrals merchants can make. You can earn $300, $500 or more by referring colleagues to OMEGA Processing Solutions.

The program is simple. Merchants contact OMEGA Processing at 866.888.9724 Ext. 7 or send an email to support@omegap.com to submit the referral information. We then contact the business directly to discuss merchant services with OMEGA Processing. Once the merchant signs with OMEGA and is processing, we will issue the statement credit. It’s that easy and a win-win situation!

Now’s your opportunity to take advantage of this incredible offer today.

Finding the best credit card processing company for your business can be an adventure — and not always the best kind. Here are some pitfalls to avoid when performing your search.

Long-Term Contracts and/or Early Termination Fees

Be wary of processors asking you to sign a long-term contract with early termination fees. It’s common in the industry to find contracts of up to five years in length, and some processors have an auto-renewal clause.

In addition, there are processors who don’t charge a flat early termination fee but calculate the amount using a method referred to as “liquidated damages.” With liquidated damages, you’ll be charged the amount in revenue that your processor determines it will lose due to you closing your account. For example, if you have a three-year contract, and you cancel after one year, you will pay a cancellation fee equal to two years worth of processing costs.

Long-Term Non Cancellable Equipment Leases

Leasing versus purchasing a credit card terminal can seem like an affordable option, but lessee beware. Often times, these long-term lease agreements cannot be cancelled, which means that you are the hook for monthly payments for the entire duration of the lease term — even if you switch processors or stop accepting cards altogether .

Unexpected Rate Increases

Don’t fall for the classic “bait and switch.” Processors will quote aritifically low rates only then to raise them a few months later. Always read the Terms and Conditions to ensure that the processing company does not reserve the right to raise your rates.

Confusing Pricing and Statements

Credit card processors employ a few different pricing methods. One in particular — tiered pricing — can lead to confusing, hard-to-understand statements and unexpected higher rates.

With this pricing model, transactions are lumped into “rate buckets,” such as qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified. Usually the processor advertises the rate associated with the qualified bucket because it is the lowest. What often happens, however, is that a large amount of the merchant’s transactions are downgraded and consequently charged at a higher rate.

Hidden Fees

The devil is in the details. Ask for an outline of all the extra monthly and annual fees you will be charged. Make sure that the rate they quote takes into account all of those fees. Take the time to reach through the Terms and Conditions to ensure that what you’re being promised is what you’re going to receive.

In essence, credit card processors are in the “trust” business. You trust them to safely process your credit card receipts for a fair price. By doing some homework, you can help ensure that you find the best processor for your business and its unique needs.